Do not abandon old friends,
for new ones cannot equal them.A new friend is like wine,
when it has aged, you can drink it with pleasure.
Sirach 9:10
Its fruit discloses the cultivation of a tree,
so a person's speech discloses the cultivation of his mind.
Sirach 27:4-7
God's ways are not always life-changing in the way we want but rather in the way we need.
But lay up your treasures in heaven, where neither the rust nor moth doth consume and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where thy treasure rests, there is thy heart also.
Matthew 6:16-21
It is not so easy to get my way this time; next time let God have His way. Having my way this time means that next time it will be even more difficult for me to give God His way.
"The Year and Our Children" pg. 148-149
Grace is the invisible ingredient in all struggles for perfection.
"The Year and Our Children" pg. 158
If someone prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage or does he give him opportunities to be courageous?
"Evan Almighty" Quoted by Morgan Freeman
Sacrifice is part of life. It's supposed to be. It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to. Little sacrifices. Big sacrifices. A mother works so her son can go to school. A daughter moves home to take care of her sick father. Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you're not really loosing it. You're just passing it on to someone else.
"The Five People You Meet in Heaven", Mitch Albom, pg. 94
Parents rarely let go of their children, so children let go of them. They move on. They move away. The moments that used to define them - amother's approval, a father's nod - are covered by moments of theuir own accomplishments. It is not until much later, as the skin sags and the heart weakens, that the children inderstand; their stories, and all their accomplishments, sit atop the stories of their mothers and fathers, stones upon stones, beneath the waters of their lives.
"The Five People You Meet in Heaven" Mitch Albom, pg. 126
The past is my teacher, the present is my test, and the future is my reward.
Van Council
For your spirit to be healthy, you must exercise it.
Fr. Qui- Thac Nguyen
It's not about the ability, it's about the effort.
Fr. Qui-Thac Nguyen
Love will make you beautiful.
The Afters
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My notebook continues to grow with quotes and verses as does Patrick's. I suggest writing anything and everything down that is striking, important, funny, and thoughtful. For you never know when you might need a pick me up or something to meditate on. The words above have new meaning every time I read them and they are a good reminder of Who is truly in control and how to love like Him.
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Miles' favorite TV show, Sesame Street, and in particular, Elmo.